All of the material in this patent document, including the computer program listing, is subject to copyright protection under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all other copyright rights whatsoever are reserved.
The present invention relates to a spill-proof container, and in particular to a particulate material container with an access opening that closes when the container is tipped from its normal upright position, preventing contents spillage.
Numerous spill-proof containers are described in the prior art for holding drinks or other liquids. When designed for use by children, such containers are commonly referred to as “sippy” cups. Spill-proof containers for liquids prevent liquid spillage by using a tubular member that extends into a larger outer container for holding a reservoir of liquid, or by using a valve arrangement adjacent the discharge opening, which is often sized to fit the user's mouth. These containers are not suitable for use in holding particulate material, whether or not a liquid is also present, since it is necessary for the user to have access, either by hand or a utensil, to the particulate material in order to remove the material from the container.
Several containers are also described in the prior art for use in holding particulate materials, or a combination of a particulate material and a liquid. These containers purport to hold particulate material in an easily accessible manner, while preventing discharge of material from the container when the container is tipped or inverted.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,174 to Williams, describes a spill-proof container for dry granular foodstuffs, such as cereal, which is comprised of an outer container into which the foodstuff is placed, and a smaller, open-bottom container that extends into the outer container. A cover extends over the space between the outer and inner containers. The user reaches through the inner container into the outer container to remove the foodstuff. If the container is tipped, the foodstuff is held within the space between the containers. Due to the configuration required to prevent spillage, the outer container can only be partially filled, and access is cumbersome, since only the material immediately beneath the inner container is accessible.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,103 to Abernathy et al. also describes a cereal bowl comprised of a smaller container within a larger container. The space between the upper edges of the containers is open. In the event the bowl is tipped, the cereal in the inner bowl spills into the outer bowl. This alternative has no provision for recovery of the spilled material within the outer bowl and effectively requires discarding the cereal in the event of spillage.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,514 to Tubbs and U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,384 to Voloshin describe containers for food items, such as cereal flakes, crackers, cookies, and the like, in which the top is covered with a cap having a plurality of flexible, pie-shaped flaps that together form a spill-proof cover. The flaps are flexed in order to access the container contents. The flaps hinder access and prevent viewing of the contents.
There remains a need for a spill-proof container for particulate material that enables easy access to and viewing of the material during normal container usage, but which will prevent spillage of the material if the container is tipped. Preferably, the material within the container is not discharged from its original storage location and is recoverable when the container is returned to the upright position.